Foxwoods Names New CEO

Felix Rappaport, Foxwoods Resort Casino's senior vice president and chief operating officer, has been promoted to president and CEO.

He replaces former CEO Scott Butera, who resigned earlier this fall to become commissioner of the Arena Football League.

Rappaport arrived at Foxwoods in February. Before that he had been in management at many prominent Las Vegas casinos, including Mirage, Luxor and Excalibur.

Foxwoods is looking to diversify from gambling and other entertainment and business conferences with an outlet mall called Tanger Outlets. Those shops are expected to open in May.

"Felix has an incredibly extensive background, and his expertise is unmatched in the industry," Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler said in Tuesday's written announcement. "His vision has been the driving force behind our master plan, which is to provide an enhanced resort experience for all our guests."

Foxwoods employs between 5,000 and 5,500 people, and the resort has about 9 million visits a year, according to the announcement. A year ago, the casino employed more than 7,500, and the year before that, employment was more than 8,500.